Thief turned Devil
by ceasare
Summary: They had to survive and so they stole. Wasn't really their fault that they were good at it. Yet, when a — the— Devil offers them a deal, it is their only way out. Hopefully, their souls were worth as much as their lives; because they would literally have to die first.


**This is a rewrite of "From thief to devil One step at a time". The story had a lot of pacing and grammar issues that I hope to resolve with the rewrite.**

 **So buckle up, and -hopefully- enjoy the story!**

* * *

" _Have I ever told you about the story of Icarus?" His mommy looked at him in adoration. It was bed time again, but every night he went along, without whining - like a good boy! - because the story was always worth it._

" _That's a weird name mommy! Did he save a princess?" he asked as he always would– eyes filled with wonder._

 _She would oblige him of course– as always– "No, but he fooled a king." she said, her arms extended dramatically and exaggerated movements._

" _Once upon a time in a country called Greece, lived a Mason who was revered as the greatest architect that had ever existed." She begun her story with some lame information as always. Naruto knew that she was trying to teach him, but it was annoying how she'd take twice as long to tell a story. His name was Daedalus and he had a son called Icarus. Daedalus worked for years to create a huge labyrinth that no one could ever escape..." she recounted._

 _And so his eyes would gleam in wonder and her smile would stretch. Their candle cast shadows would play and dance well into the night before sleep would take him away._

* * *

 **Twelve Years Later**

Two figures ducked and weaved through the streets of Chicago. Their steps were deliberate and soundless among the alleys and crossroads.

"Naruto, we need to talk about this," the figure said without slowing down.

"There's nothing to talk about, Sasuke. We need the money, and she is going to get it for us," Naruto said.

Naruto stopped and removed his hood to look at his friend. Blue eyes stared into black as a battle of wills took place.

' _We don't have to do this'_

' _Yeah we do.'_

"We can take other jobs... Do you remember what happened the last time we took one of _her_ jobs?"

Of course he remembered. He looked down, a trickle of guilt seeping into his complexion. "Look, I know how you feel about this, but it's the only way we can get the money _in time_. I mean Jesus, Sasuke! How do you want to get two mill before September?"

Sasuke looked at him, eyes calculating and thoughtful as always. Naruto almost called the whole thing off just because he didn't want to be judged anymore. Then Sasuke walked past him. "The head decides and the feet follow. Let's go Leader."

The two continued on, unknown smiles shared on each face.

Their trek lasted another ten minutes. Comfortable silence permeated the air as they arrived at a small ramen stand.

"How's it hangin' old man Teuchi?" Naruto greeted the man behind the stand.

"Oh look who we got here!" The man smiled and shook their hands. "Long time no see Gabriel, Luci. The boss waiting for you?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're in need for some dough, ya'know?" The man chuckled and stood aside, letting them walk into the kitchen. The soft hum of boiling water and cooks going along with their day to day routine gave him a sense of nostalgia he didn't know he had.

They turned right by the big double doored fridge, then took a left turn behind a short corridor to arrive at a narrow stairway that led down. Naruto and Sasuke jumped over some carton boxes filled with plastic containers and tableware. The stairs led to another door, which led to an over decorated corridor filled with various japanese paintings and figures that neither of them recognized.

At the end of the corridor stood a bald Goliath of a man guarding a traditional japanese door. They strode towards him and he slid the door open as they passed. "She's pissed."

They both swallowed with obvious trepidation. "At us?" asked Sasuke.

"Dunno… Just thought you should know." They both bowed slightly in thanks and got ready for whatever torture they'd have to go through.

Screams echoed as they walked inside. A lush garden covered the first room, themed traditional Japanese similar to the rest of the complex. They shot each other a look and kept going.

Past the garden sat another door, at first glance unguarded but both of them knew otherwise. They could faintly hear her ninja's breaths between the cries of whatever poor sob was inside with that monster.

The door slid open and they had to force themselves to avoid retching. In the middle of the room sat a man –tied and gagged. Men with obvious wealth surrounded him and above the victim stood Tsunade..

Beautiful as ever, slim, tall, and tits that could crash boulders.

The victim was covered in blood, new and old. Black eyes with dried tears. A sight Naruto and Sasuke had gotten well acquainted with. It was the look of a man that was dead, but didn't know it yet.

"We could have come later if we knew you had a play session, shitty Granny." Naruto yelled from the entrance. The men inhaled, ready for the bloodbath that would soon come.

Instead, their jaws dropped when they saw their blonde master smile and turn towards the visitors. Sasuke had to push Naruto out of a kunai's way, but before they could realize it, she appeared in front of them eyes open and teeth flashing. Fifty-year-old women had no right to move that fucking fast!

Then it came, a crushing hug that threatened to break their rib cages against her massive chest. "STOP!" They both screamed, but she just kept going.

"I haven't seen you brats in years!" She bellowed as they fell on the floor. "Come, let us drink!" She turned around and walked to her office. Naruto took a glimpse at the sob's now relieved expression. At least he gave him some reprieve, for now.

Naruto and Sasuke nodded at each other and followed. They passed multiple corridors and arrived at an elevator that led all the way up to the penthouse. She led them to her couch and went to change.

"Nothing changed huh?" Sasuke mumbled and Naruto couldn't help but agree. The loft looked the same as always. A small fountain in front of the couch with a bamboo spout that swayed back and forth making soothing 'Toot-toot' sounds every time it filled with water. The loft had multiple bedrooms, baths and conference rooms. All owned by the Senju Yakuza branch. The whys and hows of their presence in Chicago unquestioned and forever unanswered.

Tsunade came back in the room in her usual green kimono attire. A bottle of whiskey and three glasses in her hands. She sat between them and poured them a drink. "You've become famous," she said as she passed them the glasses and took a sip herself.

"Famous?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade gulped down the entire glass and poured herself another. "Yeah, everybody in the town won't shut up about you. Trump's house. Really?" she asked, mirth weaved into every sentence. Naruto took a sip.

"You called us to reminisce Granny?" Naruto asked, immediately regretting the harshness of his words. The woman clicked her lips and stood up in a huff.

"You've got quite the balls, you know that brat? Five years you don't show your face. Running around with your ragtag motley crew after everything I've done for you! I should have sent Sakura to remove your heads from your shoulders." She took another sip and took a breath. "And then you come here, looking to get a job like nothing even happened."

Naruto sat still. He was left speechless for a minute and Sasuke sighed as he knew exactly how it would go down between the hotheads.

"We had agreed on rules..." Naruto growled. "...No victims, no one gets hurt." Naruto slid off the couch and picked a smoke from the table. One… Two tries for the lighter to ignite the cigarette in Naruto's shaky hands. "We agreed that you'd get the money and we'd get the tickets and papers to Europe." Naruto couldn't go on before Tsunade interrupted him.

"Now listen here you brat! The situation was out of Kakashi's control. He couldn't have saved your asses without doing what he did. You and the other kids would be in jail right now, getting assfucked by some random fuck head."

A few moments of reprieve as the smoke danced around them and the waft of tobacco calmed their nerves, if only a bit. The spout emptied its contents again.

Naruto smothered the cigarette and stared into Tsunade's eyes. "Eli is dying."

She sighed and sat down on the opposite couch looking at the Koi fish that swam peacefully around. "Her heart huh?" she asked.

"Congen… Cal-this-or-that disease — "

"— It's called Congenital Heart Disease." Sasuke corrected him. "It has come to a point where even getting up is dangerous. We… We found this doctor in Switzerland. He… He…"

"He's an expert." Naruto supplied, preventing Sasuke's voice from cracking. "We know you have a job pending for two million. We want it."

Tsunade sighed and looked away. "Forget it."

No… NO!

"Why?" he pleaded. "You know we can do it, whatever it is. We'll even give you back the change- if there's any."

"It's not about the money. You'll get yourselves killed." she said.

"Bullshit!" Naruto yelled and smacked his glass on the table as he stood up. He didn't make it two steps as shadows slid off the walls, seizing him and Sasuke. Blades dangerously close to their arteries.

Sasuke sneered at her, "Give us the job Tsunade." He was met with his captor's chortle.

"Show some respect to Tsunade-sama, or I will slit that skinny throat of yours." He recognized Sakura's chipper voice; a shiver passed his spine as she pressed her blade deeper into his neck.

"You'd do anything for that job?" she asked. Naruto and Sasuke nodded. Tsunade shook her head in disappointment and sat on her couch crossing her legs.

"The man on the chair. His name is Michael Stevens. He has a daughter your age, a beautiful wife that's pregnant. A real gentleman. See, the only problem is that Mr. Stevens stole from me. Three thousand dollars. Heck, that's exactly how much money I tip my chef at breakfast." She said in a casual tone and Naruto's stomach churned in morbid realization. Surely she wouldn't. _Right_?

"No, Mr. Stevens you see is my accountant. But he stole from me, and since he stole once, he'll steal again. He took the money to pay for his and his wife's vacation. If he had come to me and asked, I would have given him the money without blinking.

But Mr. Stevens stole from me…"

In an almost predatory motion she unfurled her legs and crouched on them for support. Her eyes reminding them exactly _why_ this woman was not to be trifled with. Behind the warm loving exterior lurked a tiger.

And like all felines, she too lacked the attachment to anything that displeased her. "...So here is your choice. Go down there and bring me his head, or cut his ropes and let him go. Then we can talk about your job; if you do the right thing that is. "

* * *

One of the masked protectors gave him a katana and shoved Sasuke and him back down the elevator and into the hall. People were chatting and bickering, drinking and laughing, as if there wasn't a bloodied victim in the middle of the room.

Their eyes switched to the duo as Naruto walked up to the man, his sweaty hands grasping the sword. The man was whimpering and crying, trying to plead for his life, but to no avail.

"You don't have to do this Naruto." Sasuke said.

Naruto walked behind the chair as the man's body shook in terror. He started convulsing and shaking. The blade rose.

/

" _Five people lie on the rails, and the train will kill them. You can change the train's course, but in doing so, you'll kill three people." Sasuke told him. "What do you do, Naruto?"_

" _Easy! I stop the train!"_

" _You're an idiot." Sasuke said with a hint of a smile playing on his lips._

/

The entire room stared in silence as the man fell off the chair and crawled as far away as he could. With tears streaming down his face, he removed the gag and looked at Naruto.

"Tha… Thank you!" He cried and ran as far as his injured legs would take him.

"Let's go Sasuke, we'll find another way to make the money." Naruto said and dropped the blade. His companion nodded in relief and followed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade called from the canopy of the second floor. "We have a job to discuss."

/

Michael Stevens ran outside the ramen shop. No one had tried to stop him; he almost screamed in joy as he smelt fresh air again. He had to get to his wife, he had to find them and then leave this city as fast as he could. Oh god, he needed to run faster.

He had almost made it outside the alley when he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. A lone eye glistened off of a dark silhouette. His eyes turned down in a reflex only to see a kunai stabbed through his stomach.

"Why?" he asked.

The gray haired man smiled in an apologetic manner. "It's just business Mike. Don't take it personally."

* * *

" _Dear passengers please fasten your seatbelts and deactivate any electronic device. Flight HC122 will be ending shortly. Connecting flight passengers, please proceed to gate 18 upon arrival. Thank you for choosing India Airlines."_

The flight attendant's chipper voice knocked him out of his stupor as. The plane was filled with chatter, babies crying due to the increased pressure in their ear drums. He yawned and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes as he looked around him. Sasuke still slept behind him, and on his right hand sat a shaking teen. His face green and terror in his eyes.

"Johnny, how long 'till you get over your flight fear?" He asked.

"Shut up dude, don't you understand? We are inside a metal-fucking-tube, OK? And we're flying thousands of meters in the air-OK? Going hundreds kilometers per hour. I got every-fucking right to be scared!" The teen argued.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he fastened his seatbelt. "These things have been flying for decades man, it's fine."

The plane landed without delay in the evening.

 **September 13, 2014 - Mumbai**

Mumbai was warm. Even though it was already winter, it felt more like a comfortable summer heat. Motorcycles and cars swerved and weaved across the narrow roads in a chaotic harmony.

To Naruto, Mumbai reminded him of his room. Messy, smelly, and entrenched in rubbish. Yet it had a sort of allure to it. The chaos just worked for those who accepted it. Everything was easy to find and always in place. Needless to say, the other two of the group didn't share his opinion.

"This place is a shit hole." Johnny mumbled as he pulled his t-shirt to cover his nose.

Sasuke on the other hand was a bit more subtle, and just cringed his nose surrendering himself to breathe through his mouth for the rest of their journey. "It just had to be here right? Why the fuck would they even host a fancy auction here? Couldn't it be like England or Italy?"

Naruto giggled, "Come on you guys, it ain't all that bad." he said. "Besides, this isn't movies. They'd never manage to host it there. Not with the way things have been going."

"The slaughterhouse?" Johnny asked, surprising the two boys with his insight.

"They have been running some real shit. " Naruto spoke, "I have no clue what Cao's been thinking running off with these guys. He better be safe."

"Why do you even care? He left us." Sasuke sneered at the teen's memory. Cao was the strongest among them, and could have easily been running their group if he had wanted to. But he was never charismatic, or interested in them enough to lead.

"Left us or not, he's one of us." Naruto countered. His eyes daring the two to say otherwise. They didn't.

They continued on in somber silence. It didn't take long for them to arrive at their hotel. A dingy little building with a big room that was filled with bunk beds. It was filled with drunkards and hoodlums.

"'ight, I'll hit the sack. We'll talk 'orrow." Naruto yawned and jumped on one of the empty beds.

/

Slaughterhouse was a gang.

Not the kind that smuggled drugs or people, nor the kind that assassinated or tortured for fun. Although, rumors had it that they wouldn't shy away from killing if you got in their way. No. Slaughterhouse was a gang that would steal for you.

They wouldn't pick pockets for change, nor would they break in apartments hoping to grab some jewelry. Slaughterhouse would detonate a bomb to create a distraction and then empty an entire museum off of its valuables. They'd sneak into the white house and steal Obama's underwear. Or in one particular occasion: Stroll through one of Google's data centers and grab a certain server rack. Only to stroll back out and blackmail Google into buying it back. Only after they copied all the data and sold it to other interested parties.

Needless to say, Slaughterhouse did not fuck around, and when it came to dealing with them, there was no honor amongst thieves. A trait which allowed groups like Naruto's and Sasuke's to exist. The Syndicate.

The syndicate had become a sort of a pop culture reference. They started by robbing seven elevens and small bank offices. Then when they met Tsunade everything changed. She had funded and equipped them, procured contacts and created connections.

In short, if you wanted a place vandalized and didn't particularly care about what you were trying to procure you went with Slaughterhouse; if you wanted to actually receive what you wanted you went with the Syndicate. Easy as pie.

Sasuke's mind went through everything he knew of Slaughterhouse. They rarely had the same contracts and their clientele had none or very few intersections. The Syndicate mostly worked for collectors who had too much money or scientists who were more worried about their research than their pockets.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Johnny whispered from underneath. "We aren't prepared as usual."

Sasuke took a moment to mull over his friend's unusual hesitation. "Well Eli isn't here. We haven't got a lot of intel either. "

"I know. It still doesn't feel right."

"We'll have to pull a page off of Naruto's book and just wing it. Not much more we can do." he lamented.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." the burly teen sighed and turned on his bed making the springs underneath groan. "Goodnight Sasuke."

"Night..."

* * *

 **September 14, 2014**

They weaved through the markets unseen. It had taken them the better part of the morning to get to Shirley. All three had underestimated just how big a city of almost nineteen million people would be, and their 'Hotel' being located near the eastern slums hadn't contributed to their journey.

"I swear to God Naruto, I'll fuck myself before I let you make plans again." Johnny's short mood was had long passed its boiling point and the foul mouthed teen would meticulously remind them just who had fucked up.

Sasuke almost snickered at Naruto's reddened cheeks. "W-well… Shut up or I will fuck you when we get back."

Johnny raised an eyebrow at the low quality insult. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah, now shut up. It's not like I knew how this city would look like. The rooms where the cheapest I could find so I took them." The blonde defended.

"Well, thank god we let Mr. Scrooge McDuck to handle this then." Sasuke joined in the banter and Naruto's ears heated up.

"I hate you guys."

/

Shirley was beautiful. Beach houses and tropical trees alongside the various marketplaces and districts. This year's monsoon left the area mostly unscathed and the tumultuous winds had long ceased and gave way to some minor waves for surfers from all across the earth to enjoy.

It was nice, Naruto thought, to have some moments like these. Not running or hiding from anyone. It was days and hours like that, that reminded him that life was more than stealing. That the money they'd eventually make would one day give them a respite, and they could all maybe travel out here and surf. Sasuke, Johnny, Eli and him– hell maybe even Cao would agree to join.

"It's peaceful ain't it?" Sasuke sat beside him and passed him a soda.

He took a sip, and kept staring at the horizon, " _...too_ peaceful. You got something for me?"

Sasuke smiled, "Ventilation."

Naruto spit the soda he had in his mouth. "No way."

"Way." Sasuke smirked.

"Fuck off."

"I swear. Hell, Johnny will fit."

"Like those back in..."

"London? Yep. Almost identical."

"Directly to the room?"

"End right over the stage, another exit near the kitchens."

"Fuck me."

"Oh, I'll fuck you alright." He grunted right into Naruto's ear eliciting a cringe from the blonde.

"Don't be a faggot." The boy scowled.

"You weren't complaining back in…"

"Finish that and I'll rip your dick…"

"Kinky!" Sasuke almost sprinted away from Naruto. Laughter echoing behind the now dimly lit streets. It was moments like these that made it all worthwhile Naruto decided. Even if Sasuke got weird at times. Who was _he_ to judge?

/

The night found them sitting around a bonfire. The beach was mostly empty now, some groups of teens dancing and drinking around their own bonfires. Naruto sucked the last puff from his cigarette and threw the but in the fire.

"So Kusanagi, huh? Thought that was a legend or something." He whistled.

"Probably just a rotten thing, no way it's pristine."

"Would you pay two mil for a dingy 'ole piece of crap?"

Sasuke thought about that one for a second. Johnny was snoring, empty beer cans laying of their feet. "If I had the cash? I'd rather roll 'em up in toilet paper and wipe my ass."

Naruto, drunk as he was, chortled in mirth. "I guess you would."

"Would you?"

"If I had the cash? I'd find a way to create a global ramen appreciation day."

Both teens stared at each other for a moment before falling on their backs. Their laughter drew some attention from nearby groups, but they quickly went on with their own thing.

"We'll manage just fine tomorrow Sasuke, we got this."

"It's what we do, of course we _got_ this."

A few moments passed in comfortable silence.

"So get this. A Snake, a Toad, and a Slug walk into a bar–" Naruto begun, only for Sasuke to cringe.

"Can you, _not?_ Jeez."

"–Shut up. They walk into a bar, and the Slug goes to the bartender and asks for three tequilas. It brings the shots to the table and the Snake sneers. ' _The fuck is this?_ ' It says, and so the Slug goes: ' _Well duh… It's tequila.'_

The Toad sneers: _'You didn't bring lemons'_ and so goes to the bartender and gets some lemon slices. So the Slug scowls this time: _'This still is missing something.'_

' _Don't worry'_ says the Snake ' _I got this'_ , and goes to the bartender and asks for salt…

So the three drink their tequilas, lick the salt and bite the lemons.

The next day, they wake up dead. Get it? Oi! Sasuke, you got that?"

 _Sasuke had fallen asleep._ "Come on, it was a good joke..."

* * *

Tsunade let out a long sigh of worry, her shoulders were being combed with Sakura's skillful hands.

"Why did you even give them the job, if it worries you so much?" Sakura huffed.

"The idiot would have found out anyway. Not much I can do to stop them once they've decided to do some stupid shit."

"You think Kakashi-ni will make it in time?"

Tsunade smirked at her disciple's worried tone. "You worry about your boy-toy?"

Sakura harrumphed and pressed a bit harder than she wanted, eliciting a small cringe from her master. "That broody idiot can go and hang himself in a sewer for all I care."

"Should I send you with Kakashi?"

Sakura thought about it. Even though she didn't want to– not really. Not after everything _they_ had done. For as much as she liked Sasuke, he and his group had spat upon the hand that fed them, and there was no forgiving that.

"I'm fine by your side master."

Tsunade nodded, content that the answer came without hesitation. "Then go and clean up after Kakashi's mess. I don't want any cops snooping around Teuchi."

"As you wish master."

Tsunade exhaled one more time as she stood up and fastened the Kimono around her waist. The bright Chicago sun shone into her loft illuminating everything. A scowl creeped up on her face. There was no place for her in the light.


End file.
